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Catastrophic injury?Talk to a lawyer for free.

In California, a claim can include future care you're reasonably certain to need, not only today's bills.

  • No fee unless we winWe only get paid when you get paid.
  • Zero upfront costYour consultation is free, with no obligation.
  • Hablamos españolNative Spanish speakers. No confusion. No delays.
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No attorney's fees unless we recover compensation. Clients may be responsible for case costs. Read the disclaimer

The Valero Law Group attorneys and staff together in the office
Months later they reached out to inform me that they lowered some of the medical bills and were issuing another payment.
Anthony R.Valero Law Group clientGoogle review

Results that speak.Millions won for injured clients.

We've won over $500 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients, among them people with nerve and spinal injuries.

Recognized for excellence

Avvo Rating: Excellent, Top Rated Personal InjuryTop Rated by Super Lawyers
  • $6.25MPersonal injuryA confidential personal injury settlement.
  • $5MAuto accidentFor a husband and wife after the husband suffered a brachial plexus injury.
  • $2.34MAccident claimA win for a client injured in an accident.
  • $2.1MTruck accidentFor a client with spinal and orthopedic injuries after a crash with a commercial truck.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

View all results

Looking after your future, not the insurer's

Insurance companies have a team.You should have one too.

A catastrophic injury claim can face several insurers at once, from the at-fault driver's or business's carrier to an umbrella policy, each with its own adjusters and lawyers. The first call can come while you're still in the hospital, and a signed release usually ends the claim.

Before you sign anything, ask yourself:

  1. Is the offer sized for the care you'll need decades from now?
  2. Does it count the income the injury will cost you for years?
  3. Do you know what Medi-Cal or your health plan will take back?

From one of our car accident cases

The insurer's best offer$410,000

What we won for our client$4.4M

A car accident that left our client with a neck injury. Most people would have taken the offer. We won more than ten times as much.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes, and each case is different.

Get my free case review
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12 offices, one team

Catastrophic injury lawyersnear you, anywhere in California.

Every one of our offices handles catastrophic injury cases. Pick yours below for the local details, or call: if you can't come to us, we'll come to you.

Also serving Los Angeles, Ontario, Oakland and communities statewide. In Washington, see our Tacoma office.

All office locations

Why choose Valero Law Group?

We champion every case,big and small.

Whether your case is worth $5,000 or $5 million, we bring the same skill, attention and determination to every client we represent.

So don't let the size of your case keep you from seeking justice: every injury deserves serious representation. Let us fight for the compensation you're owed while you focus on what matters most, your recovery.

They made me feel like a priority, and they put my needs first as a client.

IsabelValero Law Group client

400+five-star Google reviews

Real clients,in their own words.

  • Samuel M. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $881,000 settlement check
    Samuel M.$881,000
  • Victoria M. smiling in front of the Valero Law Group logo wall with her $625,000 settlement check
    Victoria M.$625,000
  • Karina C. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with her $625,000 settlement check
    Karina C.$625,000
  • Angela M. smiling and pointing to her $625,000 settlement check
    Angela M.$625,000
  • Destiny H. smiling with her $500,000 settlement check
    Destiny H.$500,000
  • Javier P. smiling in the Valero Law Group office with his $375,000 settlement check
    Javier P.$375,000
Awesome experience with Valero Law. My case person, Leticia was always available to discuss my case and get me to all my doctor appointments.
Michael K.Google review
Read all 400+ of our reviews
Ask for Leticia R. She helped me with my father's case and did an outstanding job.
RenoGoogle review
My husband and I used Valero Law Group a few years ago for an accident and they were very prompt in meeting with us, they walked us through the whole process and made sure to answer any questions we had.
Dana R.Google review

What a California catastrophicinjury claim can recover.

Whoever caused a catastrophic injury owes every loss it caused, for as long as the losses last. If you were partly at fault, your share reduces the award but doesn't erase it.

Economic damages

Losses you can put a number on

  • Surgery, hospital stays and rehabilitation
  • Future care, medical equipment and home changes
  • Lost wages and lost earning capacity
  • Care at home, even when family gives it

Non-economic damages

Harm that no bill shows

  • Pain and physical suffering
  • Physical impairment and disfigurement
  • Emotional distress and lost enjoyment of life
  • A spouse's own claim for lost companionship
  • $2,000SSI's savings limit for one personMoney held in a special needs trust generally isn't counted toward it (Social Security Administration, 2026), so how a settlement is held can matter.
  • No capOn pain and suffering outside medical negligenceCalifornia caps it only in medical negligence claims: in 2026, $470,000 for all the doctors together and $470,000 for all the hospitals together (Civil Code §3333.2). In any other injury case, the amount is left to the jury.
  • 1/3The general cap on a health plan's lienWhen you have a lawyer, Civil Code §3040 limits it to a third of the recovery, or to what the plan actually paid if that's less. Some employer plans follow federal rules instead.

After a catastrophic injury in California,what comes next.

Reports, records, insurance, repayments and deadlines, in the order they tend to come up.

Valero Law Group attorneys meeting around a conference table
  • Find out who made the report
    After a vehicle accident, the police or the CHP usually has it. If a workplace injury means a hospital stay, an amputation or the loss of an eye, the employer must report it to Cal/OSHA right away, and workers' compensation doesn't stop a separate claim against someone other than the employer who shares the blame.
  • Your medical records are yours
    You have a right to copies of your records and scans under HIPAA, even with a bill unpaid. Discharge summaries, surgery reports and therapy plans are what doctors and life-care planners rely on to estimate the care still ahead.
  • The years ahead count
    A claim can include the earning power the injury takes, even for a student or someone with no work history yet, and the housework and caregiving the injured person can no longer do. Families commonly keep a simple log of hours of help and trips to appointments, plus receipts for equipment and home changes.
  • When one policy isn't enough
    A driver's policy can carry as little as $30,000 per injured person, far below a lifelong injury's cost. A business's policy or an umbrella policy may add to it. Your own underinsured motorist coverage may pay the difference between the driver's limit and yours, if yours is higher. Each party at fault pays only its own share of pain and suffering, so every responsible party matters.
  • Who gets paid back from a settlement
    Medi-Cal is repaid only from the medical part of a settlement, and Medicare's "conditional" payments must be repaid too. With a lawyer, Medi-Cal's share is cut by 25%. Your health plan and the hospitals that treated you may claim liens as well.
  • Six months for a public agency
    California generally allows two years to file an injury lawsuit. When a public bus, a government employee on the job or a dangerous public road or building is involved, the agency first needs a written claim, usually within six months. If the injury kept someone from acting in time, a late claim may be possible within a year.
A man and a boy in traditional Colombian hats and jerseys holding Valero Law Group signs at a community event

Al Barro Foundation: supporting over 400 orphans in Mexico

From the community, for the community.

Hablamos español.

We're a Hispanic-focused firm with native Spanish-speaking attorneys. We understand your family's needs, walk you through every step in your language, and fight to get you every dollar you deserve.

Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.
…they speak excellent Spanish, know how to help, and look out for their clients' best interests.
Yesica H.Google review
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Organizations we support

Sponsor of the 2024 Share the Road Scholarship

Our community outreach
  • Al Barro Foundation
  • EUNIME por Tijuana, A.C.

Common questionsafter a catastrophic injury in California.

What makes an injury catastrophic in California?
No California injury law defines it. The state's workers' compensation law gives examples: the loss of a limb, paralysis, a severe burn or a severe head injury. In practice, any lasting harm that changes how someone works and lives can count, such as the loss of sight or hearing. Our brain injury and spinal cord injury pages go deeper.
How long do I have to file a catastrophic injury claim?
Two years from the injury for most lawsuits (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1), and usually six months for a written claim when a city, county or state agency shares the blame. Medical negligence has its own deadline. Records and witnesses are easiest to find in the first weeks, so it helps to call early.
Do I have to live near one of your offices?
No. We take catastrophic injury cases anywhere in California. We have offices from Stockton to Palm Desert, and if you can't travel, we'll come to your home, the hospital or the rehabilitation center.
How do you put a number on future care?
From the medical evidence: the surgeries, therapy, equipment and daily help someone is reasonably certain to need, and what each reasonably costs, often set out in a life-care plan. Care family members give counts too, even unpaid. Future costs and lost earnings are discounted to today's dollars; future pain and suffering is not.
Is there a cap on what a catastrophic injury claim can recover?
Not in most cases. California caps pain and suffering only in medical negligence claims (Civil Code §3333.2): $470,000 against doctors and against hospitals in 2026, for cases filed since 2023. After a vehicle accident, someone injured while driving uninsured, or later convicted of DUI for that accident, is generally barred from pain-and-suffering damages (§3333.4).
Can I get disability benefits while the claim is pending?
They're separate from the injury claim. Social Security Disability Insurance may pay monthly benefits, based on your work record, if the injury will keep you from working for a year or more, generally after a five-month wait. State Disability Insurance can replace part of your wages for up to 52 weeks. SSI, which depends on income and savings, has its own rules for settlements.
What changes when the injured person is a child?
A parent or guardian brings the claim, and a judge must approve any settlement and decide how the money is held: for example, a blocked account that can't be touched without the court's approval, or a special needs trust for a lasting disability. The two years to sue usually start at 18, but a claim to a public agency is generally due in six months; for a child, a late claim is usually still possible within a year. See our child injuries page.
What does a catastrophic injury lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. Your consultation is free, and no attorney's fees are owed unless we recover compensation for you. You may be responsible for case-related costs and expenses; we'll explain them before you sign.
Attorney Kyle Valero
Kyle ValeroAttorney, Valero Law Group

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Have a question about a potential case?Talk to a California catastrophic injury lawyer today.

Your consultation is always free, with no obligation. We're happy to answer any questions and walk you through your options. No pressure, just honest answers.

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